BOSSES at a Midland jail are allowing lags to pass their time by reading up on terrorism, guns, gangs and sex - in the prison library.

The library at HMP Featherstone in Wolverhampton contains a stash of books covering a range of topics which may hold a special interest to convicts.

Cop Killer, Understanding Jihad and The Shade of Swords: The Conflict Between Islam and Christianity are among the titles featured in the 9,500 book inventory.

The library also offers The Art of Deception, Stalker, Message from Hell and Bandits Blood to prisoners at the Category C lock up, where inmates cannot be trusted in open prisons but are unlikely to try to escape.

But while most of the books are crime thrillers some are about sex.

Homosexual inmates can always book out a copy of Assertively Gay: How To Build Gay Self Esteem.

And there are plenty of steamy tales for the jailed inmates to enjoy, including Sheri Campbell’s Wicked in Bed and Jackie Collins’ The Stud and RK Byers’ Horny.

The convicts can also read up on the lives of celebrities who have experienced jail too.

And the life story of ex-Baywatch babe Pamela Anderson, whose former husband Motley Crew drummer Tommy Lee, was jailed for beating her up.

The prison provided the Sunday Mercury with a copy of their library inventory in response to a Freedom of Information Inquiry.

As well as the books about the crime, sex and showbiz the library does feature topics which could help inmates deal with their crimes and look to how they may change their lives on completing their sentences.

There are books which provide prisoners with the opportunity to research self improvement theories.

Advice on anger management is featured in the prison’s copy of 50 Ways To Get Along with Absolutely Anyone and Positive Thinking: How to Create a Better Future.

Instruction manuals on writing for magazines, PC repair, web design and an SAS fitness book can also provide prisoners with plans for the life after release.

Bosses at the Prison Service defended the choices of books made available to lags claiming the books were similar to those on offer in pubic libraries.

And they said the decision to ban titles was the responsibility of each prison’s Governor.

A spokesman said: “The books available to prisoners at

HMP Featherstone are no different to those normally available in a public library. Restrictions on the texts available to prisoners are a local matter, at the discretion of the Governor.

“Many of those sent to prison have poor literacy skills. Prison punishes, but also reforms those in custody, teaching skills so that offenders can lead constructive lives away from crime on release. This leads to less re-offending and fewer victims.”